Walk into any high-end soul night in London or a backyard barbecue in Minneapolis, and you’ll hear that voice. It’s gritty. It’s smooth. It has that distinctive Otis Redding-style rasp but wrapped in the high-tech sheen of 1980s synthesizers.
Alexander O'Neal isn't just a name from a dusty vinyl bin. He was the powerhouse of the Tabu Records era. When he hit, he hit hard.
Most people remember the big ones, like "Criticize" or "Fake," but the story of how these tracks came to be—and why they sound so much better than the era's average pop—is about a perfect storm of talent. We’re talking about a man who was almost the lead singer of The Time before Prince famously fired him for being "too black."
Honestly? Prince’s loss was our gain. If O'Neal had stayed in The Time, we might never have gotten the legendary collaboration with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis that defined the late '80s R&B landscape.
The Tracks That Defined an Era
You can't talk about Alexander O'Neal hits without mentioning the 1987 masterpiece Hearsay. It wasn't just an album; it was a conceptual journey through a party, complete with interludes and a narrative flow.
Take "Fake." It topped the R&B charts and hit #25 on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s a biting indictment of artifice, driven by a "nasty bass" line that Jam and Lewis crafted specifically to showcase O'Neal’s aggressive vocal delivery.
Then you have "Criticize." In the UK, this song was massive. It reached #4 on the singles chart and stayed there, cementing O'Neal as a superstar across the Atlantic. It’s a song everyone relates to—the frustration of being picked apart by a partner.
But it wasn't all dancefloor aggression.
"If You Were Here Tonight" is arguably one of the greatest slow jams ever recorded. It’s lonely. It’s haunting. When O'Neal sings about the "cold wind blowing" through his soul, you actually believe him. That’s the difference between a singer and an artist.
The Cherrelle Duets
We have to talk about the chemistry. "Saturday Love" is a staple. If a DJ doesn't play this at a wedding, did the wedding even happen? It reached #6 in the UK and #26 in the US, but its cultural impact is far larger than those numbers suggest.
- Saturday Love: The ultimate "days of the week" anthem.
- Never Knew Love Like This: A more mature, sophisticated follow-up that hit #2 on the US R&B charts.
These weren't just "featured guest" spots. They were true duets where the voices fought for space and then blended perfectly.
Why the UK Loved Him More
It’s a weird quirk of music history. While O'Neal was a solid star in the US, he was a deity in the UK. Hearsay went triple platinum there. He sold out Wembley Arena for six nights.
Why?
British audiences in the '80s had a massive appetite for "The Minneapolis Sound." They didn't care about the radio format boxes that US stations lived by. To the UK, O'Neal was the epitome of "cool Black American music." He wasn't just R&B; he was soul, he was funk, and he was slightly experimental.
Even his 1991 album All True Man reached #2 in the UK, while it only hit #49 in the States. The title track remains a definitive "grown folks" record, showcasing a more polished, velvet-lined production style.
The Jam & Lewis Connection
The secret sauce was always Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. They understood his range. They knew he could handle the "cyborg-soul" of a track like "Innocent"—a 10-minute epic with a computer-voiced breakdown—just as easily as a traditional ballad.
They pushed him. They made him record through his struggles, including a well-documented battle with addiction that almost derailed Hearsay. They literally told him he had to get his act together before they’d finish the record.
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He did. And the result was a run of hits that defined the Tabu Records sound:
- What's Missing: A funky, synth-heavy groove that showcased his "iron lungs."
- The Lovers: A lush, choir-backed production that felt like a church service in a nightclub.
- (What Can I Say) To Make You Love Me: A desperate, high-energy plea that remains a fan favorite.
Misconceptions and Reality
People often think O'Neal was just a "studio singer" created by producers. That’s a mistake. If you listen to his live recordings or his early work with the band Alexander, the power is all him.
His voice has a physical weight to it. When he moved away from Jam and Lewis for the 1993 album Love Makes No Sense, the commercial dip wasn't because he couldn't sing; it was because the industry was shifting toward New Jack Swing and Hip-Hop Soul, and the "clean" Minneapolis production was falling out of fashion.
But the music stayed. It didn't age like some of the more "plastic" pop of 1987.
Getting the Most Out of the Catalog
If you’re looking to dive back into Alexander O'Neal hits, don't just stick to the radio edits. The extended 12-inch versions are where the real magic is.
Start with the All Mixed Up remix album from 1988. It captures the energy of the clubs at the time. Then, go back and listen to the Hearsay album from start to finish. Don't skip the interludes. It’s meant to be an experience, not a playlist.
Check out his later live work, too. Even in recent years, O'Neal has toured the UK extensively. His "Time to Say Goodbye" farewell tour showed that even as the voice ages, the soul is still there.
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To really appreciate the depth, look for the "Official Bootleg Mega-Mix." It’s a 1989 release that stitches together the best of his early career into a relentless 9-minute dance floor marathon. It’s a reminder of just how many bangers the man actually had.
Next Steps for the Soul Fan:
- Listen to "Hearsay" (the full album): Experience the 1980s concept album at its peak.
- Watch the "Criticize" Music Video: It captures the late-80s Minneapolis aesthetic perfectly.
- Compare the 12" Remixes: Find the "Fake '88" remix to hear how they updated his sound for the house music era.
- Explore the Tabu Anthology: This box set includes rare B-sides and deeper cuts that didn't make the radio.